Abstract: Device for tubeless tyre bead engagement and inflation, generally for tyre removal machines (1) having a unit for supporting and locking a wheel (wheel rim+tyre) (5-15) in a bedded position, comprises a movable implement to be associated with the structure of the tyre removal machine, and generally shaped as a handlebar the handles (9) of which are lowerly provided with at least one compressed air delivery nozzle (11), said handlebar being able to move between a rest position in which it is spaced from said bedded wheel, and a working position in which said nozzles, retained thereat by the operator, extend beyond the upper bead retention flange (55) of the wheel rim (5) to blow air below it at the command of said operator.

Abstract: A device for operating on tires comprising an outer carcass and an inner toroidal ring of deformable material; said device comprises a base which supports means for supporting the outer carcass of the tire, and movable means for extracting or inserting said ring from or into said carcass, said latter movable means being provided with at least one appendix arranged to interact with a portion of the edge of said ring.

Abstract: A system for measuring the characteristic attitude parameters of a vehicle, comprising at least one video camera arranged to monitor at least one image of a target rigid with at least one wheel of the vehicle, and means for processing the acquired image of the target to define the orientation of the target relative to a reference system, comprises a measurement site; a measurement unit fixed to each of the sides of said site and comprising at least one video camera orientated towards any one target fixed with any orientation to a wheel positioned on the same side; a third video camera associated with the unit fixed to one of the sides of the site and orientated towards the unit fixed on the other side of the site; any one target rigid with the unit fixed to the other side of the site and positioned within the field of vision of the third video camera; each video camera being arranged to acquire at least two images of the respective target from at least two different positions; processor means for the images a

Abstract: A fixture for locking motorcycle wheels onto balancing machines, comprising a spindle to be removably fixed onto the direct extension of the balancing shaft to receive the hub of the wheel to be balanced, means for fixing the hub onto the spindle, and means for rotating said wheel about the axis of said shaft; said means comprise two independent operating devices, of which one, known as the locking device, is provided to axially secure said hub onto said spindle, and the second, known as the dragging device, comprises a dragging part arranged to slide parallel to the balancing shaft between a rest position in which it is spaced from the wheel locked on the spindle, and a working position in which it is in contact with and torsionally engages a wheel portion external to the hub.

Abstract: A device for supporting the wheels of vehicles in general during their attitude check, comprising a horizontal plate (8) which is supported in such a manner as to enable it to undergo rotation and translation within the plane in which it lies, about a position known as the zero position, and means able to disable the mobility of said plate, said means comprising a lower central appendix (11) which is rigid with the plate, and with which there is associated an automatic centering, retention and release system, which is activated and deactivated by a remote command.

Abstract: An automatic bead release device for tire removal machines, comprising, for supporting the wheel rim complete with tire, rotary means associated with a frame which supports a bead release disc in contact with the tire just external to the flange of the wheel rim, a shaft parallel to its axis of rotation, on which said frame slides to approach and withdraw from the wheel rim, means for moving said frame along said shaft, and means for lightly inserting said disc below the flange of the wheel rim after it has come into contact with it.

Abstract: A device for supporting checking heads or sensors, to be coupled to vehicle wheel rims, presents a central member having on one side the support for the head or sensor and comprising, on the opposite side, self-centering means carrying elements for engaging structural parts of the wheel rim which lie on a circumference coaxial therewith, and means for operating said self-centering means.

Abstract: A self-centering device for supporting heads for checking the attitude of motor vehicle wheels, comprising two parallel cylindrical bars (3) between which there is positioned a parallel rod (6) having two opposite-handed threaded portions with which two sliders (5) are coupled and are arranged to slide along said bars with movement towards and away from each other, said sliders each being provided with a pair of clamps (12) arranged to engage the wheel rim of the wheel to be tested, each individual clamp being connected to the respective slider by way of means (14) which enable its distance from the slider to be adjusted.

Abstract: The tire removal machine comprises an upper member (15) which rigidly supports the rim of a wheel positioned coaxial to it, and is positioned at the top of a coaxial vertical rotary shaft (12) projecting upwards from a machine casing (11). The device of the invention comprises a support means (20) for supporting a wheel resting thereon, and transfer means for raising and lowering the support means (20) to move it from a first position, in which the means (20) is disposed close to the floor surface in order to receive/unload the wheel, to an upwardly raised position in which the wheel rests on said upper member (15), and vice versa.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining physical and geometrical defects in motor vehicle wheel rims and tires comprises at least one measurement unit to be associated with a self-centering unit of the vertical axis of a tire removal machine, in order to occupy a rest position in which it lies outside the operational region of the self-centering unit and a working position in which it can assume a first measuring configuration in which it is in light contact with a bead retaining flange of the wheel rim of that wheel at that moment, mounted on the moving self-centering unit, and a second configuration in which it is in light contact with the tread of the tire of the mounted wheel, the at least one measurement unit being connected to a system for collecting and displaying the data obtained.

Abstract: A device for determining geometrical defects in a vehicle wheel comprises, for measuring the eccentricity of the wheel rim (5) and of the wheel (4), means (7) to be positioned in contact alternately with the tire (6) and with the wheel rim (5) of the wheel of which the eccentricity is to be measured, a sensor (8) for measuring the angular position assumed by said means (7) about a fixed reference point (9), and means for associating and processing the data measured by said means (7) and by said sensor (8) to determine the angle through which the tire (6) must be rotated on the wheel rim (5) to compensate their errors of shape. Said angular sensor (8) comprises a fixed part (80) carried by a shaft (23) associated with self-centering support means (21, 19, 200, 203) arranged to position it exactly coaxial with said wheel rim, and a movable part (81) rotatably mounted on said shaft (23).

Abstract: A method for determining the efficiency of a vehicle's shock absorbers, comprising the following operational steps: identifying, by virtue of image acquisition means, at least one point of the vehicle rigid with the shock absorber lower connection, and at least one point of the vehicle rigid with the shock absorber upper connection; associating said at least two points with a cartesian reference system; subjecting the vehicle or at least a wheel thereof to a non-horizontal forcing stress; memorizing a succession of photograms in order to acquire the equations of motion of said at least two points and calculating the equation resulting from the difference between the two equations of motion; determining from said equation the parameters necessary to evaluate the shock absorber efficiency.

Abstract: An automatic device for mounting and removing a tire (6) onto and from the relative wheel rim (5), comprising, for supporting the wheel rim (5) complete with tire (6), rotary means associated with a frame (7) which supports an operating head (16), positionable in level and horizontally translatable, provided with at least one demounting tool (25) which can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the main axis of said operating head (16) to be positioned between a first position for seeking and gripping the bead of the tire (6), in which the tool (25) is orientated towards the center of the wheel rim, and a second position for extracting said bead of the tire (6) from the wheel rim, in which the tool (25) is perpendicular to the axis or is orientated in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A method for regulating the attitude of a motor vehicle by measuring the characteristic angles of the wheels, includes the following operations: obtaining at least one pair of images of each moving wheel while the vehicle is being positioned on the measuring site; calculating for each image the ellipse resulting from the interpolation of a discrete number of points lying on the image; establishing a correspondence between the points identified in each pair of images, to uniquely determine the edge of the wheel rim and its spatial position; calculating the value of the characteristic attitude angles relative to the spatial position of the wheel rim.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting tires on a wheel rim and removing tires from a wheel rim which comprises a shaft member mounted for rotation on a base member, a hub member operatively associated with said shaft member for rotation therewith, said hub member containing a cavity therein, means for rigidly securing the wheel rim to a centrally disposed rod, said rod extending as free ends from opposite sides of said wheel rim for selectively mounting the wheel rim within the hub cavity from either of said opposite sides thereof, engaging means mounted for substantially vertical and horizontal movement relative to said shaft members for bringing said engaging means into contact with a tire to be mounted on the wheel rim, and actuator means for moving said engaging means in said substantially vertical and horizontal direction to achieve said contact with said tire.

Abstract: A tire removal machine comprising a rotary platform for supporting the wheel, means for acting on the tire bead and platform operating means, wherein the operating means are a single-phase electric motor with series excitation, connected to a single-phase feed line at 110V a.c. via a voltage rectifier, means being provided for limiting current absorption to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A machine for removing and mounting tires from and onto respective wheel rims has a base (1;20), a platform (3;22) rotating on the base, and a column (7; 26) which extends vertically upwards from the base to the side of the platform and supports, one following the other, two mutually slidable elements one of which carries at its end a tool (15; 33) which is to operate on the tire bead. The element which supports the tool is secured to the center of the wheel rim.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel balancing method includes determining, by using an electronic computing device, the position of the application plane and the angular position of each weight within a range about prechosen balancing planes, computed on the basis of weight values chosen by the operator from a finite number of values available in practice. A wheel balancing apparatus includes a rotary shaft on which a vehicle wheel is mounted, and the electronic computing device discussed above.

Abstract: A system for measuring the wheel base of an automobile frame and the transverse and longitudinal offsets of its steered wheels which comprises a first device and a second device to be applied by known means to two automobile frame wheels positioned on the same side, said first device comprising two light emitting diodes (LEDs) located a known distance (d) apart, measured in the horizontal plane, and said second device comprising optical angle measurement means arranged to measure the angle (.alpha.) subtended between the light rays emitted by said light emitting diodes.

Abstract: A system for measuring the characteristic attitude angles of the wheels of an automobile frame utilizing optical sensors positioned on the wheels of the automobile frame to feed data to a central processor arranged to convert them into angular values, and four identical measurement devices fixed in mutually symmetrical arrangement to the wheels of the automobile frame in such a manner as to interact with the devices positioned on the adjacent wheels, each device comprising two identical measurement units positioned in mutually perpendicular vertical planes and each comprising angle measurement means positioned vertically and horizontally, having a single common reading unit, the angle measurement means having a light source directed towards a diaphragm, downstream of which there are located, in succession a cylindrical converging lens and a reading unit consisting of CCD-type optical sensors perpendicular to the axis of the lens, downstream of which there is a container for liquid of high refractive power thr